The role of wealth manager, financial planner or advisor are not simple jobs by any means, and there is a great deal of skill and knowledge which one must have in order to be successful. Take for example someone like Patrick Dwyer Merrill Lynch Miami-based advisor, a trusted figure in the industry and someone who has recently featured in the Forbes top 250 wealth managers list. Patrick Dwyer works with ultra rich individuals and companies, and has gained respect throughout the industry thanks to his foresight, his ability to forge relationships and ultimately, his ability to make people money.

People like Patrick are the perfect example of the characteristics which are required to be a great advisor, and if you have been thinking of this as a career choice, here are the characteristics which you’ll need.

Passion for Money

Whilst not all financial advisors are the same, there are some attributes which they all boats and one of which is a passion for money. Whether it be the stock market, real estate or any other form of investment, if you want to be successful then you must have a real passion for making money, and understanding finance.

Great Salesperson

As with any industry, the world of financial advice is still about making money in a competitive market, so you must be a great salesperson in order to succeed. You must be able to have confidence in your ideas and advice and most importantly be able to sell that to your clients.

Humility

Confidence is a key skill which advisors need, but so too is humility and understanding your clients. You must remember that your clients are entrusting you with their money, and they will invest, buy and sell based on the advice which you have given. Wit this in mind you must be sympathetic to the situation of your clients, and be able to show humility when it comes to working with them.

Analytical Approach

Financial advisors, at whatever level, do not simply pick advice out of the sky, or repeat what they have read in a newspaper. To give the best financial advice, you must be able to analytically review ugh amounts of data about the market, and how it may change. Advisors spend huge amounts of time poring through reports, stories, historical data and speculative data, in order to make the best decisions possible. If you are not analytical then deciding on advice can be tough.

Confidence

Finally one must have the confidence in your convictions to be able to offer the best advice. This can be difficult when you first start out, especially given the fact that people will invest based on your words. Over the years you will gain more confidence but it is important that you go into this career with natural confidence in your own abilities.